Farmers in Alberta’s northern region are experiencing a wet, snowy and frustrating harvest this year. It’s been so difficult that farmer Otto Rottier has called it, in some ways, “the harvest from hell.” “There’s a lot of very stressed farmers around here, for sure,” said Rottier, who lives northwest of Westlock, during a phone interview […] Read more
Tag Archives harvest
Take extra care on highways
With harvest well underway across most of Western Canada, provincial authorities are urging caution on public roads and highways. “Harvest is a busy and important time for the agriculture community,” said Saskatchewan Highways and Infrastructure Minister David Marit. “We want to keep Saskatchewan’s roadways safe for everyone, and remind motorists to watch for slower […] Read more
Rest and relaxation critical to injury-free harvest
Fatigue, lack of familiarity with equipment and cutting corners to save a few minutes can result in a lifetime of regret
Every harvest season on the Prairies is memorable for one reason or another. Last year’s harvest will likely be remembered for the unwelcome rain and snow, the mud, the ruts and the millions of unharvested acres. Fingers crossed, the 2017 harvest might be remembered as a line-to-line event — a harvest season that went from […] Read more
To swath or not to swath?
A report that compares the costs and benefits of straight-cutting canola versus swathing may answer some lingering questions about the best way to harvest it. But it doesn’t offer a definitive recommendation on how canola should be taken off. It says there are significant gains and costs associated with both straight-cutting and swathing. “Straight cut […] Read more
Dry, hot summer leaves Manitoba yields in doubt
It’s been a strange growing season, and many producers aren’t sure what they’ll get this harvest
HOLLAND, Man. — On a sunny morning in mid-August, Les Ferris walked into the edge of a canola field, just east of his farmyard, and pulled a couple of plants out of the ground. He looked at the tops for signs of heat blast, then inspected the bottom to assess the number of branches on […] Read more
North Dakota wheat yields better than expected
Many areas of the state were grappling with extreme drought, but as harvest approached, producers found the crop was still in decent shape
Growers and agronomists in North Dakota were wondering in early July if any spring wheat would be produced in the western half of the state. Parts of the region were in an extreme drought: as little to no rain had fallen since April. As well, blistering heat, in the range of 35 C, scorched the […] Read moreRain headache unlikely
Drew Lerner expects normal harvest weather conditions this year with rainfall picking up in September. “It’s not going to be like last year,” said the president of World Weather Inc. “It’s not going to be just big, heavy deluges of rain, one right after the other.” But there will be sporadic rainfall that will at […] Read more
Feds extend cash advance program
The federal government has revised the application deadline for the cash advance program to accommodate farmers with unharvested crops, but for some growers it isn’t going to help. The deadline for seeded advances was Aug. 31, 2016. After that date, farmers can get advances only for grain that is in the bin. However, a lot […] Read more
Farmers frantic to beat snow
Harvest dust once again hangs heavy over prairie fields as warmer weather finally arrived in November, allowing producers to get their combines rolling. “Usually October is the harvest month,” said Alberta crop specialist Harry Brook. “The whole of October, I would call a washout.” Brook said this year’s harvest season has been a one-in-50-year event […] Read more
Cash advances changed to include unharvested grain
The Canadian Canola Growers Association has unveiled a new cash-advance option available to grain and oilseed farmers with unharvested grain. Farmers who have unharvested grain may be eligible for a cash advance under a revised application deadline, the CCGA said in a Nov. 15 news release. The CCGA will accept new seeded cash advance applications […] Read more
